Miami, known as an ideal venue for litigating international disputes due to its geographic location, has also become
one of the leading venues in which to conduct international commercial arbitration proceedings.
Specialization in this area of the law has led to the creation of the International Commercial Arbitration
(ICA) Court within the Circuit Civil Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. The Court, consisting of
Sections 46 and
47, hears these types of
disputes for the entire State of Florida.
The ICA Court was created in response to a heightened demand for an alternative forum for resolving
international disputes involving commercial transactions, and was the result of a collaborative effort among
international law firms, the Florida Bar, the Florida legislature, the business community and the Eleventh Judicial
Circuit of Florida.
Pursuant to the procedural and substantive requirements of Florida’s International Commercial Arbitration Act
(Chapter 684, Fla. Stat.) and the Federal
Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §1 et seq.), both judges are also vested with the authority to
enforce foreign arbitration awards, order interim measures before the issuance of an award, interpret and settle
challenges to arbitration clauses, resolve discovery disputes, and even select and appoint an expert or particular
intermediary when the parties can’t agree on the selection of a specialist or conciliator to resolve the
particular dispute.
For specific information regarding the eligibility criteria for assigning disputes to the ICA Court as well
as the internal procedures and policies of the ICA Court, see the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Administrative
Order No. 13-1A.
International Commercial Arbitration Judges: